Floating bolt latch mechanism



Sept. 25, 1951 w. A. ENDTER FLOATING BOLT LATCH MECHANISMS Filed Oct. 30, 1947 6 Sheets Sheet 1 Mvlpznnpflllrarm INVENTOR.

A? Tom fr p 1951 1 w. A. ENDTER 2,569,046

III/II ggfjd Mlnrmpfllimrlle IN VEN TOR.

Sept. 25, 1951 w. A. ENDTER 2,569,046

FLOATING BOLT LATCH MECHANISMS Filed Oct. 50, 1947 s Sheets-Sheet a n Y M "3 Q Q Mznrmipdlimzzz' INVENTOR.

p 1951 w. A. ENDTER 2,559,046

FLOATING BOLT LATCH MECHANISMS Filed 001;. so, 1947 6 Sheets-Sheet 4 I IN VEN TOR.

ATTOBYEY Sept. 25, 1951 w ENDTER 2,569,046

FLOATING BOLT LATCH MECHANISMS Filed QC'C. 30, 1947 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 hhzwla dlimrrp mmvron.

ATTOEAEY I Sept. 25, 1951 w ENDTER 2,569,046

FLOATING BOLT LATCH MECHANISMS Filed Oct. 30, 1947 6 SheetsSheei 6 1 Mlnzmyfllivnrrz? JNVENTOR.

Patented Sept. 25, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE FLOATING BOLT LATCH MECHANISM Waldemar A. Endter, Long Beach, Calif.

Application October 39,1947, Serial No. 793,184

14 Claims. (Cl. 292-223) This invention relates to improvements in latching mechanisms applicable particularly, though typically, to the latching of vehicle doors or other closures to eil'ect a secure, take-up type closed association of the closure with the body to which it is applied. Particularly the invention has to do with improvements in the structure and operating characteristics of latch mechanisms comprising a floating swinging bolt capable of rotation to effect latched association with a keeper, and of bodily movement relative to the bolt carrying member, 1. e. door or pillar as the case may be, to permit exertion of a constant take-up door closing thrust. This general type of bolt action is contemplated in the mechanisms disclosed in my patent and copending applications identified as follows: Patent No, 2,376,992, issued May 29, 1945, on Latch Devices; application Ser. No. 597,097, filed June 1, 1945, on "Latching Mechanism; application Ser. No. 672,582, flied May 27, 1946, on Floating Bolt Latch."

The invention is more directly concerned with the particular type of latch mechanism in which the bolt is mounted, as indicated, for bodily movement, and is directly engageable against a part serving to transmit the bolt thrust and to hold the bolt against unintentional release from latched condition. Certain of my prior applications referred to above show the bolt to be engaged against a stationary member or abutment so that in latched position the bolt functions as a rigid thrust transmitting element, and the abutment holds or blocks the bolt against retrograde movement.

One of my major objects now is to adapt the bolt engaged member or abutment to serve not only as a means for preventing release of the bolt, but also to create the take-up action characteristic of all these floating bolt mechanisms. Accordingly, the invention provides for engagement of the bolt against a movable abutment in the 1 nature of a cam, the latter being urged in a direction tending to bodily thrust the bolt in a take-up direction.

Specifically contemplated is a form of springurged cam interposed between th bolt and a stationary portion of the bolt case or housing, the cam and bolt havin engaged correspondingly arcuate surfaces of such extent that the radial keeper-imposed thrustagainst the bolt in all of its latched positions is transmitted to such engaged surfaces so that no reactive force or component tends to release the bolt. Thus, once taining that engagement. By giving the cam eccentric surface engagement with th stationary member engaging portion of the housing, constant spring thrust against the cam urges the bolt in a take-up direction while maintaining the described interengaged relation of the bolt and cam.

As will appear, the invention contemplates association of the described bolt actuating parts with any suitable type and form of control mech-' anisms, whether for example of the more conventional kind utilizing a stationary keeper on the door pillar, or the type actuated by a push button or other form of operator and functioning when released, to spring the door open.

All the various features and objects of the invention, as well as the details of certain illustrative embodiments, will be explained to better advantage in the following detailed description of the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a view taken in section on line l--l of Fig, 2 in the axial plane of the bolt shaft and illustrating in elevation the control mechanism inside the angular case;

Fig. 2 is a section on line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Figs. 3 and 4 are side and edge views, respectively, of the bolt actuating arm;

Figs. 5 and'6 are side and edge views, respectively, of the bolt;

Figs. 7 and 8 are side and edge views, respectively, of the cam;

Fig; 9 is an enlarged section on line 99 of v Fig. 1 showing the bolt in safety-catch engagement with the keeper;

Figs. 10 and 11, are similar views showing the bolt in progressive stages of latching advancement:

Fig. 12 is a vertical section taken on line 12-12 of Fig. 13, illustrating a variational form of the invention;

Fig. 13 is a section on line ll-ll of Fig. 12;

Figs. 14 and 15 are views taken from line ll-l I of Figs. 13 showing progressive positions of the keeper parts with relation to the bolt assembly, the bolt housing appearing in section;

Fig. 16 is a fragmentary enlarged view showing tige parts advanced beyond the positions of Fig. 1

Fig. 17 is an enlarged view further detailing the parts positioned as in Fig. 14;

Figs. 18 and 19 are edge and side views, respectively, of the cam embodied in the mechanism of Figs. 12 to 17;

Figs. 20 and 21 are side and edge views, re-

engaged in the keeper, the bolt is assured of re- Spectively, of the bolt;

Fig. 22 is a view taken at the inside of the bolt housing, illustrating a variational form of the invention with respect to the bolt and cam assembly and directly associated parts;

Fig. 23 is a section on line 2222 of Fig. 22;

Figs. 24 and 25 are side and edge views, respectively, of the insert or saddle piece;

Figs. 26 and 27 are side and edge views, respectively, of the bolt; and

Figs. 28 and'29-are side and edge views, respectively, of the cam.

Referring first to the embodiment of Figs. 1 to 11, the latch mechanism may be contained in the usual angular case l2 having right angle flanges II and i2 carrying respectively the bolt and cam assembly l2 and the handle, push button and lock controlled mechanisms generally indicated at I4. As will be understood, the case I2 is adapted to be applied in the usual manner to one of two relatively movable members, e. g. ra-door, to .be maintained in latched relation with "the second member, e. g. the usual pillar, to which is applied the keeper plate I2, see Figs. 9 to 11. The case flange i2 carries the open bottom bolt housing or bracket l2, the latter extending through the case opening I! as illustrated in Fig. l.

As particularly illustrated in Figs. and 6, the bolt H has a curved keeper engaging face l2 terminating at the safety catch recess 22, the -bolt carrying a pair of lugs 2| and 22 projecting .inwardly through the case opening II. The bolt is loosely carried on a shaft 22 terminally supported by the housing It and the stationary deck plate 24 inside the case. The shaft passes through the arcuately extending opening 22 in the bolt so that the latter .is capable of both free swinging and bodily movements under the influence of its keeper engagement, all as will later appear. By bodily movement or bodily displacement of the bolt is meant displacement of all parts of the bolt out of the paths of rotation which those parts would take if the bolt movement were confined to rotation about a fixed axis.

At the inside of the spring 22, the shaft carries a pivoted bolt actuating arm 22, see Figs. 3 and 4, having a shaft passing opening 22, a shoulder 22 and a turned lug 2| projecting through an opening 22 inthe deck 24, see Fig. 2. Shoulder 22 is engageable against the bolt lug v22 to produce anti-latching rotation of the bolt in response to actuation of the arm 22 in the manner later explained. Surface 22 on the arm is engaged by the bolt lug 2| so that though separately formed. the bolt 2 and arm 22 are interengaged for swinging movement together. Movement of the arm and bolt in an anti-latching direction is resisted by a coil spring 24, the

free end 22 of which bears against the arm surface 22.

A bodily latching thrust is imparted to the bolt --by a cam 21, see Figs. '7-and 8, interposed be- .tween the bolt and its housing l2, the cam having an arcuate or segmental circular face 22 engaged against the correspondingly curved surface 22 of the bolt. Rotation of the cam relative to the bolt in an advancing direction is limited by engagement of the end of the cam with the bolt shoulder 42. The cam has a circularly curved outer face 4|, eccentric with relation to the curvature center of its inner face 22, bearing against the correspondingly curved in- -'ner surface 42 of the housing. Thus as the cam is swung or rotated through the positions of Figs.

'f -the jboitwuijinter'seet the circular curvature of these surfaces, and hence there canhe no reactive force or component tending to release the bolt from any keeper:

The plate |2 carries vertically spaced projections in 'the form of a horizontal surface lug 42 and keeper 42 and an inclined surface 41 leading to the rounded top portion 42, an inclined surface beyond thissurface, having at 42 a curvature conforming to thejlolt surface I2, and a conof its latched positions in the :tinuing-substantially straight cam surface 22..

In considering at thh point the operation of the described parts, assume the bolt assembly l2 to move toward the left to an initial position, see Fig. 9, bringing the housing l2 and bolt between .the lug 42 and keeper 42, at which the keeper nose 42 enters the bolt recem 22 to establish the safetycatch position of the parts. Upon initial engagement of the bolt surface 2| with the keeper surface 41, the bolt of course is cammed upwardly toclear the keeper until the position is reached at which spring 24 snaps the bolt down to safety catch position. During this initial upward displacement of the bolt. the cam 21. is carried with the bolt against the resistance of spring 22.

As the door is further closed, the bolt overrides the keeper nose 42 and k thrust by the action of spring 24 into a position bringing the bolt and keeper surfaces [2 and 42 into the relation shown in Fig. 10, the bolt durim-the time being movable in advance of the cam. The thrust of spring 22 against the cam then produces the take-up action created by rotationof the earn as to the Fig. 11 position, with resultant movement of the bolt along the keeper surface 22 and crowding of the closure to fully closed position as permitted by the take-up capacity of the door cushion. The bolt thus is securely maintained in its advanced latched position.

-The control mechanism 14 is to be regarded merely as illustrative of suitable devices for effecting the bolt release by inside or outside operators or door handles, and for locking the bolt by means controllable from the imide and outside of the door. The particular assembly |4 constitutes the subject matter of myapplieation Ber. No. 640,220,

filed January 12, 1942, on "lock Control Mechanism.--

The case flange carrles-a-pin 22 on which is pivoted a bolt actuated bell crank lever 22 having a bifurcated arm 21 y ng spaced lugs 22 and 22 between which is received lug 2| on the bolt control arm 22, so that, in effect the lever and bolt are interconnected for movement together in opposite directions. Lever 22 has a second arm 22 for connection with the later described operator, the lever carrying also a lug 2| engaged by coil spring 22 on the pin 22, the spring serving to take up anyl between the parts and to resist anti-latching rotation of the lever. Spindle '22 Joumaled in the bracket 24 carries at its outer arm is pivotally-connccted by pin 21 with the so that upon opening turning of the outside operator against the resistance of spring S engaging .the arm 85, the lever 58 is rotated to produce anti-latching rotation of the bolt. As will appear, the element 88 is rotatable on pin 81 independently of the arm 85 to disengage or dissociate the arm 18 from lug 48, thus permitting independent movement of the outside operator and directly associated parts.

Pin 55 carries along side lever 58 the control lever 12 which has an arm 13 pivotally connected to the usual push button rod 14 operable at the inside of the door, and a second arm 18 adapted to' be engaged and actuated by a key controlled locking device generally indicated at 11. Lever 12 has an upper lug 18 engageable against arm 89 of the element 88, and carries a second lug 19 on 4 the bottom of the arm portion 13. The control lever normally assumes the position shown in Fig. 1. Upon depression of the push button rod 14, the lever is rotated counterclockwise to shift shoulder 1I out of engagement with lug 58. Initial movements of the control lever in' either direction are resisted by an "over center" coil spring 88 connected to the arm 18 and the case flange II.

Arm 58 of the actuating lever has at 8I a pin and slot connection with link 82 attached to the usual inside operator or door handle, the link being reciprocable in response to turning movements of the handle. The lost motion connection 81 permits rotation of the lever 58 independently of the link -82 as the bolt rotates upon entering the keeper, and provides a positive connection for retraction of the bolt from the keeper. Link 82 carries a hook 83 engageable with lug. 19 when the push button is in down position, to lock the link against bolt retractive movement.

The key controlled lock 11 may include the usualkey receiving tumbler assembly (not shown) which controls rotation of the spindle 84 extending through the housing bracket 85 and carrying the rotor 88. By virtue of the engageability of its projections 81 with the control lever lug 88, the rotor functions in essentially the same manner as the push button rod 14.

To open the door from the outside, spindle 83 is turned to displace element 88 downwardly, causing arm 18 to engage and rotate part 28 to release the bolt from the keeper. To release the bolt and open the door from the inside, movement to the left of link 82 turns lever 58 to rotate the bolt out of the keeper. As previously indicated, the door may belocked at the inside by pressing down the push button rod 14 to bring the control lever lug 89 beneath hook 83 and thus prevent retraction of the link 82, lug 18 simultaneously being engaged against arm 89 to swing element 88 to a position at which shoulder H is operatively dissociated from the lug 58. Additional operating characteristics of the control mechanism I4 are explained in application I Ser. No. 648,868.

I88-'i's carried by the relatively stationary pillar,

6 IN of the door I82 to be retractible and under the control of the lock mechanism I83.

The retractible bolt I88 is similar to the above described bolt I8 and oscillates on a pin I84 for retraction within its housing I85. The bolt, see Figs. 20 and 21, is provided with an arcuate slot I88 for receiving the pin I8 to permit pivotal movement accompanied by radial movement for the purpose to be later described, and is normally urged by a spring I88 to the position illustrated in Figs. 14 to 17, inclusive, where its active end I81 projects from the housing I85. The torsion spring. I88 surrounds the pin"III4 and has one of its ends I89 engaging a lug II8 of the housing I and its other end III engaging the lug II2 on plate I29 spot welded to the side of the bolt. The bolt has a radial surface II3 normally engaging the end wall I I4 of the boltreceiving opening I I5 in the housing I85.

The arcuate bolt surface II1 cooperates with the keeper 99 when the door is in its closed or latched condition, and has a second arcuate surface II8 concentric with and of a smaller radius than surface II1, diametrically opposite the latter, for engaging a cam H9. The arcuate slot I88 is concentric with the two surfaces H1, H8 and extends substantially paralleiwith the line drawn diametrically through the surfaces H1, H8 to permit shifting of the bolt substantially radially along said line. Surface II8 extends from the surface I I3 to the stop shoulder I28 approximately degrees therefrom.

The cam I I9 has an arcuate surface I2I engaging surface II8 of the bolt, and a surface I22 engaging the wall I23 of the housing. Surface lug I21 engageable by oneend of a torsional spring I28 surrounding the pin I84. The other end of the spring engages the lug II8 of the housing I85 to urge the cam in the same direction as the spring-urged bolt I88.

The retractible keeper carried by the free edge I8I of the door I82, is contained within a housing I38 for pivotal movement on a shaft I3I and is normally urged toward its retracted position illustrated in Figs. 14 and 17, by a spring I32. A setting arm I33 pivoted on the shaft I 3I, depends from the housing I38 and carries a shoe I34 for engaging the stationary bolt housing. Arm I33 is normally urged in the forward direction by a spring I 35. The arm is provided with a projection I38 for engaging a pivoted pawl I31 carried on the outer end of the retractible keeper by a pin I38. With the parts in the position illustrated in Fig. 1'1, the setting arm I33 extends downwardly and forwardly to engage the housing I85 as the door is closed. Engagement of the setting arm shoe I34 with the housing causes rearward swinging of the arm accom panied by forward swinging of its upper extension I38 into engagement with the pawl I31 to project keeper 99 from the housing I38.

Projection of the keeper 99 from the housing I38 continues until lug I39 on the pawl I31 engages a stationary stop I48 formed in plate I carrying the housing I38 and the setting arm I33. At this point the locking lug I42 extendthrough registerlngslots I in the plate Ill the outer face III of the door, is in position be engaged and locked by a control element of the loekmeehanhln Ill. The keeper is in this blocking position by the element I suchtimeastheelementisshiftedeither outside pmh button Ill or the inside operator I.

initial closirm of the door, the keeper is projected from the housing III to a position receiving the notch III of the bolt to hold the doorinthesafetcatcbposition. Further closing door cames retraction of the I'll. 15.

- the bolt III, shoulder Ill thereon engages the end of the cam II! to rotate the cam therewith about pin IIM. Upon reaching the position of Fig. 15, with the cam in the retracted position and the bolt behind the keeper OI, spring Ill urges the bolt behind the keeper and any thnlt in an anti-closing direction is taken directly on the cam. Further movement in a cloaim direction caused by looseness in the door or its resilient cushions allows the cam urged by its spring I to take up this play. l'lg. 16 illustrates the cam in its full take-up position where the cam has rotated relative to the bolt and has projected the bolt to its fullest extent thromh the opening IIi of the housing III.

The control element I is pivotally carried on a pin I52 by the forward side I" of the L- shaped case "I; The element I is provided with an arm I" cooperating with the lug In of the pawl I31, as dscribed above, and a second arm I operaflvely connected with the push button I through a linkage I. A third arm I" on the element Ill'oooperates with areciprocating plate Ill carried by the other side III of the case Ill. Spring I" urges the plate I" downwardly and at the same time holds the arm I" in engagement with the lug I42.

The inside operator I, shown in the form of a reciprocating rod, is connected with one arm I of a bell crank pivoted at I" to the side I" of the case, the other arm I62 of the bell crank engaging the lower end of the reciprocating plate I" to transmit movement from the inside operator I to the control element I.

The control I for the lock mechanism I includes a bell crank I pivotally carried at I" in a housing I at the imide of the plate I", and is operated either by a key from the outside of the door or by the control button I61 located at the inside. The bell crank I has a hook Ill for engaging an in-turned lug I on the lower end of the reciprocating plate Ill to prevent reciprocation of the plate or movement of the control element It. The control I" is held in its locked or unlocked position by an overthrowspring I10. Figs. 12 and 13 iilustrate the control in its locked position.

Figs. 22 to 29 illustrate a further variational form of the invention having particularly to do with the bolt and cam amembly, and specifically operable as and for the purposes of the-boltcam and their housing assembly previously described with reference to Figs. 14 to 21.

Referring particularly to Figs. 22 to 25, the body, generally indicated at Ill, comprises the hollow housing portion I'll having at'its top the bolt-passing opmirm I12, and a plate or flange portion I13 containing openings I14 for reception of screws by means of which the asand 202 relative to the center I".

sembly is fastened to its supporting pillar. A plate In contained within the flange In flush with the inner surface thereof, contains openings I16 for reception of the upset portions I11 of the flange defining the screw passing openings Ill.

The housing I1I contains a generally UHlhlM insert I18, see Figs. 24 and 25, carrying a pair of lugs I18 receivable within correspondingly shaped, openings I", see Fig. 22, in the plate I15 and corresponding in thickness therewith, so that the insert Ill is in effect clamped in position by the association of the flange I11 and plate I". The insert has an angular edge III terminating at an outwardly projecting arcuate abutment I82, the curvature of which corresponds to the curvature of the later described cam face engaging the abutment. The imert also carries a pair of spaced lugs Ill between which is secured a cam-actuating spring I, and the bolt-actuating spring Ill.

Referring now to Figs. 26 and 27, the bolt I it consists of a single piece assembly comprising a body Ill having an arcuate keeper-engaging surface I88, a safety catch rooms Ill, and a second recess terminating at the camengaging shoulder I90. The central edge portion IOI of the bolt has true circular curvature with its center at I92. The arm plate I", spot welded to the bolt, has an extension I carrying the lug I engageable by spring III, see Fig. 22.

In Figs. 28 and 29, the cam I is shown to consist of a single piece element having a circular opening I91, of greater than degree angularity about its center I, and corresponding with the bolt curvature at III so that with that portion of the bolt received within the cam opening in the assembled relation of the parts, bolt and cam are relatively rotatable along their englsed circular surfaces. At one side the cam has a circularly curved surface I" with its center at 2, engageable at III against the inside of the housing "I, see Fig. 22, and at its opposite side a second curved surface 202 engageable against and corresponding in curvature with the insert shoulder I", see Fig. 24. The cam has an end face or shoulder 2 engageable by the bolt shoulder Ill. Lu 2" carried by the cam, is engaged by spring I to urge the cam in a bolt advancing direction.

With the parts assembled as shown in Figs. 22 and 23, the cam Ill and its contained bolt I" are positioned between, and with just suiilcient clearance to assure free rotation of the bolt, the outer face of the housing I" and the insert I". By reason of'the notched configuration III of the insert,-the bolt and cam lugs III and "I are permitted to project into space 2" inside the insert Ill. for engagement by the springs.

Normally the parts may be assumed to have the position illustrated by Fig. 22, in which the cam is thrust by spring I to project the bolt to its advanced position out of the housing, by reason of the eccentricities of the cam faces I The limit of the spring-urged position of the cam relative to the bolt, is established by the engagement of the cam end 204 with the bolt shoulder I. Antilatching rotation of the bolt within the cam is of course resisted by spring I".

Upon its engagement with the keeper, the bolt and cam assembly are rotated against the resistance of the springs, distances corresponding to the bolt displacement by the keeper. Thereafter.

, carried by the door.

9 the bolt is rotatable in a latching direction under the influence of spring I85 and relative to the cam, and spring 84 then becomes effective to rotate the cam relative to the bolt, and to bodily thrust the bolt against the keeper.

The last described form of the invention is characterized in a number of distinctive respects. It will be observed that the described parts constitute a unitary assembly which can be applied to and removed from the supporting structure or pillar for replacement or repair, without having to disturb any of the associated mechanisms Also it will be noted that the bolt is in a strict sense carried by the cam, in that while rotatable relative thereto, the arcuate extent of the cam opening I91 is such as to confine the bolt against bodily movement out of the cam. A further feature is the balanced assumpflm of the bolt thrust by the cam, in a manner tending to prevent inadvertent or accldental release of the cam when the bolt is in latched position. The general line of thrust transmitted from the keeper through the bolt is through the center I98, and with the cam engaged at opposite sides of the center at the cam surfaces I99 and 202, the cam wilLmainta-in its position until freed for movement by disengagement of the bolt from its keeper.

I claim:

l. A latch mechanism comprising a body plate and a housing projecting from said plate andcontaining an opening, a bolt mounted in said housing for swinging movement parallel to said plate and projecting through said opening to engage a keeper, a shaft extending through an opening in the bolt of larger size than the shaft to permit bodily movement of the bolt relative to the shaft, a cam interposed between and engaging the bolt and housing and movable about the axis of the shaft to bodily displace the bolt, a spring urging said cam in a bolt latching direction, a spring resisting anti-latching rotation of the bolt, a movable operator at the inside of said plate, and means carried by said shaft and actuated by said operator to sequentially move said cam in a direction releasing the bolt from the keeper and rotate the bolt in an antilatching direction. 7

2. A latch mechanism comprising a body plate and a housing. projecting from said plate and containing an opening," a bolt mounted in said housing for swinging movement parallel to said plate and projecting through said opening to engage a relatively stationary keeper, a shaft extending through an opening in the bolt of larger size than the shaft so that the bolt is both rotatably and bodily movable in relation to the shaft, a cam interposed radially between the bolt and housing and bodily movable about the axis of said shaft in an arcuate path of travel to bodily displace the bolt relative to the shaft, means mounting the cam for bodily movement in an arcuate path about the bolt, and a spring acting to move the cam relative to the bolt and thrust the bolt against the keeper, whereby said housing is moved relatively away from the keeper.

3. In a latch mechanism for a stationary member and a swinging closure member, the combination comprising: a bolt adapted to be mounted for rotation and radial bodil displacement on one of the members, said bolt having a peripheral surface portion for rotative latching engagement with a keeper mounted on the other of the memmetrically opposite said keeper-enga ing surface portion; means adapted to be fixedly mounted on the one member and defining an abutment surface extending about said bolt in opposition to said arcuate bolt surface portion: and cam bodily displace the latter in keeper-engaging direction in order to exert opposed thrusts a ainst the one member and said bolt to hold the latter against the keeper and move the closure member toward the stationary member.

4. The structure defined in claim 3 including retaining means adapted to be fixedly mounted on the one member and engageable by the bolt for limiting the extent of radial bodily displacement thereof in keeper-engagingv direction.

5. The structure defined in claim 3 in which the bolt mounting includes a pivot pin adapted to be fixedly mounted on the one member and extending through an elongated opening in the bolt.

6. The structure defined in claim 3 in which engaged surfaces of the bolt and the cam means extend through an are greater than 180.

'7. The structure defined in claim 3 including resilient means urging the bolt and the cam means for movement in latching directions.

8. The structure defined in claim 3 including a spring engaged with the one member and the bolt and urging the latter for latching rotation and a second spring engaged with the one memher and the cam means and urging the latter for movement to bodily displace said bolt in keeperengaging direction.

9. The structure defined in claim 3 including means defining substantially radially disposed engageable surfaces on said bolt and said cam means for moving the latter by anti-latching rotation of said bolt.

10. In a latch mechanism for a stationa y member and a swinging closure member, the combination comprising: a pivot pin adapted to be mounted on one of the members; a bolt having an elongated bearing opening receiving said pin to mount said bolt for rotation and radial bodily displacement thereon, said bolt having a peripheral surface portion for rotative latching engagement with a keeper mounted on the other of the members and a. convex arcuate surface bers and a convex arcuate surface portion, pe-- ripherally spaced from and substantially diaupon anti-latching rotation thereof.

portion peripherally spaced from and substantially opposite said keeper-engaging surface portion; means adapted to be fixedly mounted on the one member and defining an abutment surface extending about said pin in opposition to said arcuate bolt surface portion; and cam means interposed between and engaging said abutment surface and said arcuate bolt surface portion for movement in a curved path about said bolt, the engaged surfaces of said bolt and said cam means being complementary and said cam means being effective upon movement in the direction of latching rotation of said bolt to bodily displace the latter relative to the one member in keeper: engaging direction.

11. The structure defined in claim 10 including spring means urg the cam and the bolt for movement in the direction of latching rotation of the latter and engageable means on said bolt and said cam for moving the latter with the bolt rotation on one of the members and having outer s convex arcuate peripheral surface portions and an inner convex arcuate surface portion eccentric with respect to the center of curvature of said peripheral surface portions, said inner surface extending through an are greater than 1 portion 100'; a bolt havins a peripheral surface portion for rotative latching encasement with a keeper mounted on the other of the members and a convex arcuate surface portion, peripherally spaced from said keeper-engaging surface portionandmating withsaid innercammeanssurface portion, whereby said bolt is carried by said cam means for limited rotation thereon; and means adapted to be fixedly mounted on the one member and defining an abutment surface ex-- tending about said cam means in opposition to the peripheral surface portions thereof and for rotation of said cam means thereagainst, said cam means being efiective upon movement in the direction of latching rotation of said bolt to bodily displace the latter, relative to the one member, in keeper-engaging dinction.

13. The structure defined in claim 12 including retaining means adapted to be fixedly mounted on the one member and engageable by the bolt for limiting the extent of bodily displacement thereof in keeper-engas s direction.

12 14. The structure defined in claim 12 including resilienbmeans urging the cam means and the bolt for rotation in the direction of latching rotation of the latter.

WALDIMAR A. 1mm.

ital-mucus crrep UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 692,896 Kellen May 18, 1002 1,026,48ilf- Blake May 14. 1212 15 1,252,454 Le Beau Jan. '8, 1 218 1,279,358 Kelly ct a1 Sept. 17, 1918 1,395,708 Grode Nov. 1, i221 1,432,280 Pruel1' Dec. 12, 1922 1,569,120 Glover Jan. 12, 1928 20 1,842,266 Raw Sept. 1a, m:

1,711,213 Smith Apr. 30, 1922 2,003,731; Beito June 4', 1935 2,246,788 Dall June 24,1241 u 2,376,992 Endter May 29, 1945 .POREIGN PATENTS Number Country- Date 493,768- Great Britain Oct. 10, 1238 810,192 France Mar. 17, 1037 

